Congressman Castro Statement on Israel-Hamas Agreement Implementation
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) released the following statement:
"I am heartened to see the return of the Israeli hostages held by Hamas and the images of them reuniting with their families. I am also glad to see innocent Palestinians return to their homes and start the difficult process of rebuilding their lives after two years of carnage. I withheld initial public comment on these welcome developments because I was and continue to be concerned about the future of this ceasefire.
"We have been here before. The January 2025 ceasefire agreement announced by then-President Biden would have required continued negotiations to lead to a full release of hostages and an end to hostilities. After refusing to negotiate for months, the Israeli government broke the ceasefire, prolonged the conflict, exacerbated the humanitarian catastrophe by cutting off humanitarian assistance to Gaza for months, and engaged in ethnic cleansing through a pattern of action designed to forcibly remove Palestinians from Gaza.
"Israelis and Palestinians deserve peace and security. For that reason, I remain hopeful that this latest agreement, negotiated with the support of the United States, Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, will hold.
"However, I recognize that this is only the beginning and I am troubled by recent developments. Israel must reverse its action to cut off significant amounts of humanitarian assistance to Gaza, a decision that directly contradicts the agreement announced by President Trump.
"Israel and Hamas must act in good faith to conclude negotiations, which should include the ultimate transfer of Gaza to the Palestinian Authority, ensuring Hamas has no role in governance in Gaza, and the full withdrawal of the Israeli Defense Forces from Gaza, in a manner consistent with President Trump’s 20-point plan.
"While the plan announced by President Trump could end this current conflict between Israel and Hamas, I have serious concerns about the potential for it to further entrench the United States in the region, to the detriment of our national interest. The proposal calls for the creation of a 'Board of Peace' to govern Gaza that would be chaired by President Trump, and for the United States to work with Arab and international partners to develop an International Stabilization Force to deploy in Gaza including the possible deployment of U.S. military forces in Gaza.
"I urge the administration to immediately brief the Congress on the specifics of these proposals, including through testimony in open congressional hearings."